Wig

ABSTRACT

A wig construction in which a cap to which the hair is attached is mounted on a foraminous form whose edges rest on the head of the wearer, but which is otherwise spaced from the head. The wig cap with its attached hair may be a single section that covers the entire form or may optionally be composed of a number of independently replaceable sections.

United States Patent 1191 Megna 111 3,809,100 1451 May 7,1974

[ WIG [76] Inventor: Salvatore J. Megna, 3721 Fair Oaks Blvd.,Sacramento, Calif. 95825 22 Filed: o61.1s,197 1 21 Appl.No.: 189,908

52 US. (:1. 132/53 [51] Int. Cl. A41g 3/00 [58] Field of Search 132/53,54, 56, 49

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,342,189 9/1967 Houston132/53 3,046,999 7/1962 1.1m 132/5 3,434,481 3/1969 Mazzocco 132/53FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 342,365 9/1904 France 132/53 PrimaryExaminer-Louis G. Mancene Assistant Examiner-J. O. Lever Attorney,Agent, or Firm-Fulwider, Patton, Rieber, Lee & Utecht [57 ABSTRACT A wigconstruction in which a cap to which the hair is attached is mounted ona foraminous form whose edges rest on the head'of the wearer, but whichis otherwise spaced from the head. The wig cap with its at tached hairmay be a single section that covers the entire form or may optionally becomposed of a number of independently replaceable sections.

6 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures WIG While wigs have been known for thousandsof years, they have remained basically unchanged, and have consistedessentially of a cap of fabric or similar material shaped to fit closelyover the head of the wearer, with the hair attached to the cap forarrangement in the customary manner. While there have been changes inthe fiber or hair attached to the cap, the methods of attachment of thefiber to the cap and the construction of the cap itself have varied overthe years, basically the broad idea of a wig has remained virtuallyunchanged. The recent popularity of synthetic fibers and the attachmentof such fibers to a cap in an inexpensive manner have greatly increasedthe popularity of wigs and reduced the cost to thecustomer, but thisincreased popularity has emphasized some of the deficiencies ofconventional wig construction.

Unless a wig is custom made to fit a particular person, and such wigsareused only to a very limited extent because of the expense of customfitting, a wig must be able to fit a number of different sizes andshapes of heads and this has resulted in making the cap of anexpandablematerial, resulting in what are presently known as stretch" wigs. Thedisadvantages of such wigs are that many of them are initially too tightfor many people, and thus are uncomfortable as well as tending to impairthe circulation of blood in the scalp. As such a wig is worn, theresilient material, because of the heat and oils of the scalp, tends tolose its elasticity and the cap becomes very loose fitting. Anotherdisadvantage of such a cap is that since it is close fitting, it doesnot permit any circulation of air over the head of the wearer and thusbecomes very hot and uncomfortable. I

An additional disadvantage of such wigs is found in the particularstyles that have recently been popular. The recent styles have acted tochangethe apparent shape of the head of a woman by making use of asocalled bouffant treatment in which the hair is brushed or combedbackwardly from the tip end to the scalp to. increase the apparent bulkof the hair. The resuit is a hair style in which the apparent shape ofthe womans head is changed. When this back-combing is i done to a womansgrowing hair, the natural resiliency of the hair permits it to enduremany of such hairsettings. However, when the same back-combing isapplied to synthetic fibers that may previously have been heat-set to aparticular shape, the fibers tend to lose their pre-set shape, and alsobecome dull and lifeless looking. As a result, after a short period ofuse, the con- 'ventional wigs are no longer used because theirappearance has changed so materially from the fresh new look that theyonce had.

As previously suggested, the conventional wig fits immediately adjacentthe scalp of the wearer, and prevents any escape of heat from the scalpso that the wearers head becomes very warm, adding to the discomfort. Inaddition, the conventional wig absorbs the oils and secretions from thescalp and hair so that in a relatively short time it becomes dirty.While it is possible to wash some of the modern wigs, when this is done,much of the setting and styling that had been incorporated in'them isremoved.

It is possible to overcome these difiiculties with the a spaced formthat fits over the head of the wearer, the general shape of the hairstyle may be changed from the natural shape of the head without anyback-combing and the air space between the scalp and the wig preventsthe unpleasant heating of the head. Additionally, by making the wig insections, it is possible to change the style of the wig very simply andquickly, and thereafter to return to the original style when so desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An adjustable form of a lightweight foraminousmaterial is provided to fit on the head of the wearer, with the edges ofthe form roughly following the natural hairline of the person. Thedistance around the form at its lower edge is adjustable to fit the sizeof the head of the wearer and a strap extends from side to side of theform across the top of the head and restsagainst the natural hair tosupport the form. A wig comprising a cap with attached hair is removablyattached to the form and in one version, the cap may be made of aplurality of sections so that the wig may selectively take the form, forexample, with short or shingled hair in the back, or longer hair. Thesections of the cap may be independently attached to or removed from theform, and the attached cap, whether of single or multiple sections, mayeasily be attached to and removed from the form. The form is of aforaminous material that is lightweight and does not feel heavy upon thehead of the wearer, and, inaddition, is spaced from the head of thewearer so that airmay circulate through the form and across the scalp.The form itself can be adjusted to practically any size head and isfirmly held in place.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wigbroken away to show the hair, the cap to which the hair is attached, andthe form supporting the cap;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view partially broken away to show the hairand the capto whichthe hair is attached, the cap in this particular viewbeing of a mu]- tiple-section type, with the edge of the supporting formshowing and indicating its location on the head;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view showing the sections of a multiplesectionstyleof cap and the construction of the supporting form;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view showing the method ofinterconnection of the various sections of a multiple-section cap;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the method of attaching the capto the form;

FIG. 6 is an elevational view taken on the direction of the arrow 6 inFIG. 5, and showing the knurling or roughening of the inner surface ofthe lower edge of the form;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 3 showing themeans for adjusting the size of the form;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view of the rear of the form in its mostexpanded shape;

FIG. 9 isa view similar to FIG. 8 showing the method of adjusting theform to fit the head of the individual wearer; and

FIG. 10 is a perspective view partially broken away to show theconstruction of a single section cap.

DESCRIPTION OF BASIC WIG CONSTRUCTION Referring now to the drawings andparticularly to FIG. 1 thereof, numeral indicates generally the head ofa woman, wearing a wig l1, composed of a form 12, covered by a cap 13,to which is attached fiber, or hair 14. It is to be understood that inthis description and claims, the word hair is not to be restricted tonatural hair, but is also to include natural or synthetic fibers thatare attachedv to the cap to simulate the natural hair of the wearer ofthe wig ll.

The form 12 is made of a lightweight, relatively stiff material, such asa lightweight metal, or plastic, and is further lightened by theprovision of a large number of holes such as would be formed byperforations 15 or as would be provided by a weaving of a form ofwire-like members. The precise construction of a form is less importantthan the fact that it is a stiff lightweight form,

having a number of holes or perforations, through which air maycirculate.

The precise shape of the form'l2 is largely determined by the overalleffect that the wig is to produce. The basic reason for the back-combingand the resulting bouffant hairstyles is to change the apparent shape ofthe wearers head, and the form 12 is shaped to this approximate form.This generally resultsv in the form 12 being somewhat higher and widerthan the wearers head and somewhat longer, as measured in a front-tobackdirection.

The form 12 is constructed to the approximate shape desired, and at therear is provided with a reentrant curve 16, as shown in FIG. 8, whoseedges 17 and 18 may be overlapped as shown in FIG. 9 to provide foradjustment of the size of the form 12. This way, the form may beprecisely fitted to the individual wearing it.

To retain the sides 17 and 18 in their properly adjusted position, aretaining means such as the hook and loop fabric fastening means, isprovided. As indicated in FIG. 7, a hook portion 21 is attached to theedge 17 and a loop-portion 22 is attached to the edge 18. The hookportion 21 extends inwardly from the edge 17, a distance equal to theminimum adjustment that is anticipated. The loop portion 22 extendsinwardly from the edge 18, a distance substantially equal to the maximumadjustment that is anticipated, and the hook and loop portions thusoverlap throughout the entire range of adjustment. In addition, the hookportion is at all times covered by a surface of the form 12 so that itwill not become entangled with the wearers own hair and causediscomfort. Additionally, the loop portions of the fastening means,which will come in contact with the wearers hair, are not likely to snagor catch thehair.

The edge of the form 12 follows generally along the natural hairline ofthe wearer, but may, in some cases, extend beyond the hairline towardthe face, and in other cases, end short of the hairline. To aid inretaining this form in the correct position on the head 10, the edge ofthe form is preferably provided with some gripping means, such as theknurling shown in FIG. 6. While other forms of gripping means can beused, the knurling 23 is easily formed in the plastic comprising theform 12, and provides a surface that more effectively holds the form inplace than a smooth plastic surface would. If the form 12 is made ofmetal, the roughened surface may be provided by knurling or by suitableother means, such as a strip of tape having a suitable roughened outersurface.

To hold the form 12 in its proper spaced relation with respect to thetop of the wearers head, a band or strap 25 extends from one side of theform to the other, starting from a point at the edge of the formsubstantially over an ear, and extending to a corresponding point on theother side, over the other ear. The strap 25 is made adjustable inlength as by a slide-fitting 26, so that the form 12 may be adjusted toa proper height above the head of the wearer, depending upon theparticular shape of the form 12, and the shape of the wearers head.

To aid in holding the form 12 against tipping or rising off the head ofthe wearer, a small hair-engaging member 27 is provided at the frontedge of the form 12 generally in the center of the forehead. Thehair-engaging member 27 usually takes the form of a short length ofcomb, such as a section approximately 1% inches long, attached at itsback in such a manner that the teeth may pivot about the back to conformto the head of the wearer. The hair-engaging member 27 thus holds theform 12 against pivoting about the rear of the form adjacent the recess16. The form 12 is thus firmly anchored to the head so that short ofintentional removal, there is very little danger or likelihood that thewig 11 will accidentally come off or be knocked askew.

As would be expected, the cap 13 and hair 14 cover the form 12, and inthe basic style, the cap is a single element shaped to cover thecomplete form. As is the case in conventional wigs, the hair 14 may beof any desired length, color, or styling, and of course, the cap 13 withits attached hair 14 may be replaced on the form 12 by a different capand hair. 7

To removably anchor the cap 13 to the form 12, some suitable type ofseparable fasteners are provided. For example, as best illustrated inFIG. 5, the cap 13 is provided at its edge with 'a protuberance 30adapted to be received within a cooperating recess 31 formed in the edgeof the form 20. It will be recognized that this is essentially theconventional snap fastener, and a plurality of the fasteners areprovided around the edge of the form 12, as indicated in FIG. 1. Acorresponding number of fasteners 30 are located around the edge of thecap 13, and it will be seen that it is a simple matter to attach anddetach the cap 13 and form 12.

With the wig construction just described, it will be realized that theapparent shape of the head of the wearer can be changed as is done withthe more bouffant hair styles. However, this change in shape isaccomplished without the back-combing of the hair and consequently thehair 14 will not be stretched or wrinkled by the combing process andwill retain its shape and appearance for a much longer time. Theelimination of the back-combing thus greatly simplifies the work of thewearer and makes it much easier to care for a wig. Furthermore, sincethe shape is provided by the form 12 and not by the back-combing, lesshair or fiber 14 need be provided from the cap 13, and hence the weightof the hair on the wearer is reduced. The porous form 12 insures thatair may pass through the form and permit cooling of the natural hair andscalp while keeping the cap 13 and hair 14 spaced from the scalp so thatthe oil from the scalp is kept from the cap 13. The form 12 is made of aporous lightweight plastic construction that has a minimum of weightupon the head, while the custom-fitting of the edge of the form and thesupport of it by the strap 25 provides a very comfortable constructionwhile the hairengaging means 27 insures that the form will stay inposition.

DESCRIPTION OF OPTIONAL FORM member, is composed of a plurality ofsections. Thus,

as illustrated in FIG. 3, it will be seen that what corresponds to thecap 13 is composed of a face section 34, a crown section 35, and a napesection 36. Each of these sections is provided with hair 14 of suitablelength, color, and styling, and it will be appreciated that variationsmay be introduced so that the color of one section will be differentfrom the color of another section.

As indicated, the face and crown sections abut each other and are joinedtogether by a suitable connector, such as a hookless fastener. The crownand nape sections 35 and 36 similarly abut each other and are similarlyconnected. I

It is necessary that two abutting sections be completely separable fromeach otherand consequently the hookless fastener must be of the type inwhich the two sides of the fastener are completely separable. It isimportant, of course, that the fasteners be small and inconspicuous,must be installed in such a manner that they do not become caught ortangled in the hair, and if a slide is used, it should be protected in asuitable manner so that itmay be conveniently kept in place when twosections are connected together. In FIG. 4 there is illustrated oneconstruction, making use of a fastener having multiple inter-engagingteeth commonly known as a zipper which is indicated by the numeral 40.The two ,sets of teeth are attached to corresponding strips of tape 41that are fastenedto the sections 35 and 36, anda protective strip 42 ismounted on one of the sections, such as the section 35, to extend acrossthe teeth 40 and separate them from the hair 14. A slide 43 is movablealong the teeth 40, and a protective cover 44 is provided at the edge ofthe form 12 to receive the slide 43. I

A similar connecting means is used between the face section 34 and thecrown section 35, and the edges of the face section 34 and the napesection 36 are provided with suitable fastening means such as theprotrusions 30 that fit into the recesses 31 in the edge of the form 12.

It will thus be clear that the hairstyle of the wig 11 may easily bechanged, including making changes in the color, shaping, and length ofhair. For example, by replacing the nape section 36 shown, which is arather short hairstyle, with a different nape section having much longerhair, it is possible to change from a shingled style to a long style.Likewise, the face section 34 and the crown section 35 may beindependently changed to provide a wide variety of hair fashions.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that there has been provided a noveland improved wig construction capable of'overcoming the disadvantages ofprevious wigs and providing a comfort and versatility of style that hasnot heretofore been available. While a basic and an alternate form havebeen disclosed, the patent is not to be limited to the particular formor arrangement of parts hereindescribed and shown, except as limited bythe claims.

I claim: g

l. A cap construction for attachment to a support structure to form awig, which includes:

a flexible but substantially non-elastic cap; hair attached to said cap;and

releasable securing means around the edges of said cap, operable tomaintain said cap in position on its support; said securing means areprotected from said hair to prevent snagging of said hair in said means.

2. A form for a wig which includes:

a generally curved member of stiff foraminous material adapted to fit ona wearers head and spaced therefrom, whereby the apparent outline of theoutline of the wearers head is modified; means to secure a wig to saidmember, and

means around the edgeof said member to frictionally engage the head ofsaid wearer to support 'said member, said member having means foradjusting the circumference of said member whereby it may be fitted tothe size of the wearers head.

3. Afonn as defined in claim 2 in which said member is provided with anadjustable strap extending from side to side of said member, across the'topof the head of the wearer, to support said member on said head.

4. A form for a wig which includes:

a generally curved member of stiff foraminous material adapted to fit ona wearers head and to be spaced therefrom, whereby the apparent outlineof the wearers head is modified;

means around the edge of said member to frictionally engage the head ofsaid wearer to support said member; j

an adjustable strap extending from side to side of said member acrossthe top of the head of said wearer to support said member on said head;and

meansfor securing a wig to said member.

5. A form for a wig which includes:

a generally curved member of stiff foraminous material adapted to fit ona wearers head and. to be spaced therefrom, whereby the apparent outlineof the wearers head is modified; means around the edge of said member tofrictionally engage the head of said wearer to support said member, saidmember having a re-entrant edge,

the opposing edges thereof being capable of beingoverlapped to adjustthe size of said member to the size of the wearers head; releasableretaining means on said member operable to retain said overlappedopposing edges in adjusted position; i

an adjustable strap attached to and extending from side to side of saidmember across the top of the head of the wearer to support said memberon said head; and

means for securing awig to said member.

6. A form as defined in-claim 5 in which said member is provided with ahair engaging means at the front edge wearer.

1. A cap construction for attachment to a support structure to form awig, which includes: a flexible but substantially non-elastic cap; hairattached to said cap; and releasable securing means around the edges ofsaid cap, operable to maintain said cap in position on its support; saidsecuring means are protected from said hair to prevent snagging of saidhair in said means.
 2. A form for a wig which includes: a generallycurved member of stiff foraminous material adapted to fit on a wearer''shead and spaced therefrom, whereby the apparent outline of the outlineof the wearer''s head is modified; means to secure a wig to said member,and means around the edge of said member to frictionally engage the headof said wearer to support said member, said member having means foradjusting the circumference of said member whereby it may be fitted tothe size of the wearer''s head.
 3. A form as defined in claim 2 in whichsaid member is provided with an adjustable strap extending from side toside of said member, across the top of the head of the wearer, tosupport said member on said head.
 4. A form for a wig which includes: agenerally curved member of stiff foraminous material adapted to fit on awearer''s head and to be spaced therefrom, whereby the apparent outlineof the wearer''s head is modified; means around the edge of said memberto frictionally engage the head of said wearer to support said member;an adjustable strap extending from side to side of said member acrossthe top of the head of said wearer to support said member on said head;and means for securing a wig to said member.
 5. A form for a wig whichincludes: a generally curved member of stiff foraminous material adaptedto fit on a wearer''s head and to be spaced therefrom, whereby theapparent outline of the wearer''s head is modified; means around theedge of said member to frictionally engage the head of said wearer tosupport said member, said member having a re-entrant edge, the opposingedges thereof being capable of being overlapped to adjust the size ofsaid member to the size of the wearer''s head; releasable retainingmeans on said member operable to retain said overlapped opposing edgesin adjusted position; an adjustable strap attached to and extending fromside tO side of said member across the top of the head of the wearer tosupport said member on said head; and means for securing a wig to saidmember.
 6. A form as defined in claim 5 in which said member is providedwith a hair engaging means at the front edge of said member for engagingthe natural hair of the wearer.